What is the difference between an allergy and intolerance?

Answer 1

THEY are spelt differently.

Answer 2

Someone said that allergies produce antibodies. That is exactly true. An allergy means your body can't have something. An intolerance means your body just doesn't like it much. It's usually an abdominal thing. An allergy triggers and immune response. An intolerance does not.
M.

Answer 3

There are primary and secondary lactose intolerances. Primary is genetic, due to your genetics, your race. Some races have lactose intolerances more than others. Secondary can be due to a disease such as celiac disease. Many people can eat yogurt and cheese, but not drink milk. Many people can use dairy with the fat, and merely have some gas, but have extreme problems with loose stools and gas with sklm milk, or no fat dairy. There are otc dairy aids that help with some of those. You take several with your dairy. However, if it is other than primary lactose you really need to have a health care provider do a thorough examination to see what is the problem. Gluten has to do with wheat. Most bread has gluten and dairy. I , too, am a little confused with the dairy vs the lactose. Dairy is usually milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, anything with milk in it. You can buy lactose free products, the milk is really great. Since you have gluten, lactose and dairy problems, it sounds like you need a workup by a medical doctor or an internist to see what the basic problem is. You can be pretty sick with celiac disease. Maybe some aggressive attempts to diagnose and recommend treatment would be worth your while. You would be sure to feel better if these were under control. What about eggs, and artifical sweeteenrs like sorbitol? Watch the sorbitol if you have stomach problems.

Answer 4

An allergy is a severe reaction to something causing "acute" symptoms that could be life threatening and where the allergen should definitely be avoided. An intolerance means your body can't cope with a lot of a substance and usually causes "chronic" symptoms which aren't usually life threatening.

For instance, I'm allergic to eggs, I have to be so careful not to eat the smallest amount of them. If I do I get very ill very quickly. My tongue and throat immediatley start to swell, making it increadibly difficult to breathe( Acute symptoms and life threatening). I'm lactose intolerant as well, and although I can have a small amount of milk products, if I ingest too much in a day, I get more "chronic" symptoms such as stomach cramps, diarrhea and bloating, such symptoms are not life threatening.

Answer 5

Allergy cause symptoms such as : watery eyes, sore throat, sneezing, cough, and breathing difficulties.
Intolerance: Can cause the occasional stomach discomfort and so on.
If you are unsure see a doc!
Milk for instance you can have an intolerance or AN allergy to the protein found in it .It can cause similar reactions. In severe cases an allergy would require medical treatment!

Answer 6

an allergy will produce antibodies against the specific allergen..therefore whenever the person comes in contact with that particular allergen...they show allergic symptoms like swelling rash etc...the antibodies keep a record of what the body is allergic to..an intolerence will not do the same

Answer 7

An allergy will produce allergic symptoms - itching, spots, breathlessness, etc whereas an intolerance will mean anything from mild discomfort to agonising symptoms. Although you can die from some allergies.

Answer 8

An allergic reaction by definition involves the immune system. An intolerance involves something else. For example, many people can't digest dairy products because they lack the enzyme (lactase) necessary to break down milk sugar (lactose).

Answer 9

allergies are very instant reactions while intolerances usually take time to show xx

Answer 10

allergies can have really serious effects - like stopping you breathing. intollerances have milder symptoms like feeling sick rather than being sick or getting excema